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How to Use Fragrance Oils in Candle Making

Fragrance Oils are different to Essential Oils because they are manufactured oils, not natural oils. Fragrance oils have synthetic constituents and by mixing these ingredients together can create many different fragrances that can be used in candles as well as reed diffusers and soaps. 

What Proportion of Fragrance Oil Do I Add to My Candle Wax

Candle making is very popular with crafters and people who take the next step and turn it into a business. The great thing about candle making is that it is not  an exact science. Through trial and error and experimentation you end up with many different candles. Different people prefer different strengths of fragrance, and different waxes and wicks handle different percentages of fragrance. As a result it is hard  to simply say what is an ideal proportion of fragrance to use. You will find that the density of fragrances vary from fragrance to fragrance and as a result to get the same ‘strength’ of fragrance between the many different fragrances available you would have to add more ml of less dense oil than you would with a denser oil. This means that you should always weigh your fragrance (grams) to be exact rather than just use ml. To complicate things further some fragrances are stronger smelling than other fragrances which means that you would use less of a stronger smelling fragrance to your candle than a lighter smelling scent.

When you are making candles with paraffin wax you should start to use between 5-8%. So if you were wanting 6% of fragrance oil this would be 6 grams of fragrance oil to 100 grams of wax. If you wanted a stronger scented candle you could use a higher percentage of wax but you should experiment to see what provides the scent throw that you are trying to achieve. You will usually use a higher percentage of fragrance oil with soy wax as it does not have as good a scent throw as paraffin wax. Remember that candle making is an art and also a science and no matter what anyone tells you to do, you will ultimately discover by trial and error works for you with each fragrance. This is why so many people love candle making – everyone can have different ideas and this is all part of the fun world of candle making.

Usually you would not add more than 12% of fragrance oil because if you add more than that the candle will start to leach or sweat the fragrance oil out (bleeding). When this happens you will get oil on the external surface of the candle. Another issue that occurs if you use too much fragrance oil is that you can sometimes get excessive smoking or sputtering from the candle wick.

When you start to mix different fragrance oils together you must remember that it is the combined amount of both fragrances that adds up to the maximum amount for you to use.

Now that you have worked out how much fragrance oil that you need to use you should mix it into the wax when the wax has fully melted in the container and remember to keep stirring it for two to three minutes to get it to fully bond with the wax.

Flash Points For Fragrance Oils

A flashpoint is the temperature that a fragrance can combust at if it is exposed to an open flame. Adding a fragrance oil to wax at a higher temperature than the flashpoint will not cause combustion. When fragrances are at room temperature and not exposed directly to flames, there is no reason to worry. A fragrance with a low flashpoint will not burn off when it is added to the wax.

Are You Going To Sell Your Candles 

If you are going to sell your candles and they contain fragrance oil you must legally put safety notices on the candle labelling and/or candle packaging. Remember that this must also have the symbols that show what hazards are associated with the use of your candle fragrance oil. You can find these symbols on our CLP sheets.  

Safety Notice

When working with candle fragrance oils you should read the SDS (Safety Data Sheet). You can find this information on the product information tab for each fragrance oil that we sell. 

You should also think about putting on safety goggles and also wear gloves when you start to use the fragrance oil. Many candle makers however are very careful and choose not to wear them but remember that the fragrance oils that Scents Soaps and Candles sell are very concentrated. You must also take care when smelling the fragrance oil in its concentrated form – remember that it is very strong and it can be overwhelming if you inhale too much too quickly.

If you spill any fragrance oil onto your hands or skin, you should quickly wash it with soap. If you happen to start to develop any itching or irritation you must get medical advice straight away. If any of the fragrance oil gets into your eyes, you must immediately sprinkle water into your eye for between 5 to 10 minutes. If after that time your eyes are still sore or have any discolouration you should get medical advice.

In somehow you manage to ingest some candle fragrance oil you should drink some milk or if you have no milk drink some water. If you start to experience any discomfort, go and get medical advice.

If children are involved in the candle making you must ensure that they wear the correct protective clothing at all times and they must also be supervised. 

What is the International Fragrance Association

The International Fragrance Association is known as the IFRA and they provide excellent help and advice on safety matters and standards. Scents Soaps and Candles follow and conform to this guidance. 

What are SDS and CLP Documents

Scents Soaps and Candles show on every of our candle fragrance oil listings the relevant CLP and SDS documents. It is a legal requirement to provide this information to customers. We strongly advise our customers to read these documents before they buy any fragrance oil from us. 

A Safety Data Sheet (SDS) gives all relevant information relating to the composition of the fragrance oil. The safety document also provides warnings to any potential risks that the candle fragrance oil may present. The SDS also gives detailed instructions for the safe operation and use of the candle fragrance oil.

CLP stands for EU Classification, Labelling and Packaging Regulations. This is the  document that you use to provide the correct safety warnings that are needed and this applies specifically in relation to the safe handling and transport of the fragrance oil. It is important to remember that some fragrances oils are more hazardous than others. As a rule of thumb the higher the percentage of concentrated fragrance used, the more hazardous.